


Slàinte mhath

by Elri



Category: Wonder Woman (Movies - Jenkins), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23652748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elri/pseuds/Elri
Summary: Sami pulls a lot of late nights during production season. One night, he wanders into a cafe and finds unexpected company
Relationships: Charlie/Sameer (Wonder Woman), Diana (Wonder Woman)/Steve Trevor (Background)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a Scots Gaelic toast that means "good health"  
> Special thanks to [oopsabird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oopsabird) and [theladiesyouhate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladiesyouhate) for your feedback and support!

_I drink to the health of another,  
And the other I drink to is he   
In the hope that he drinks to another,   
And the other he drinks to is me. _

-Rev Edward Bannerman Ramsay, _Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character_

* * *

Sami sighed as he walked along the city’s sidewalks. It was late, the only light came from the streetlamps as it was even too late for random cars. Shops were dark behind their windows, staring out at him. The lamps kept the lights on so that others could see, but they were indifferent sentinels; the shops kept watch, kept guard. A breeze came down the sidewalk and Sami tucked himself tighter into his jacket, mentally making a note that he needed to start wearing his coat if they were going to keep having long nights. With circumstances being what they were, there wasn’t a lot of choice in the matter, either. If they had just a handful more people they might be able to have semi-regular hours, but it was just their little group. They had just enough cast and crew to make it through smaller productions while working around families and paying jobs and classes that often had to take priority. 

Nights like this, Sami almost regretted the theater lifestyle. Not the theater itself, he could never regret that, just the early mornings, and the late nights, and the aches and pains that came with them. He and the rest of his company were practically nocturnal during a show season, working from late afternoons to god-awfully-early mornings, then going home and collapsing for a few hours before starting all over again. The hours drew on as it was either push through or leave things unfinished to be dealt with the next day. The theater was a cruel mistress. 

Still, none of them would trade her for anything. Especially not Sami. 

He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets and walked on through the city streets, letting his feet carry him where they willed. Some people would call him crazy, but he felt safe in this city, he knew when it slept. That being said, he could really use a nice, calming cup of tea to help _him_ get to sleep sometime hopefully before daybreak. All the teas he had at home were caffeinated as he’d made a mental note last week to go to the store and then forgotten. 

Sami turned a corner to start heading back in the general direction of home and stopped in surprise when he saw a lit storefront a little ways down the block. From the angle he was at, he couldn’t read the name on the windows or see inside, but there were tables outside under what appeared to be a tartan awning, so he assumed it was some kind of café. That was open at -Sami glanced at his phone- 2:45 in the morning. Well, a hot drink was a hot drink and if he ended up in the Twilight Zone then so be it. Once he was close enough to read the name, Sami snorted. 

_Edinbrew_. Well, that explained the tartan. 

With the window shades pulled down Sami couldn’t see inside, but the hours of operation on the door said “Open 24/7 Including Most Holidays” and it wasn’t a holiday, so he pushed the door open. Immediately, he was greeted with the ringing of the small bell over the door and the welcoming smell of coffee and tea, making him relax already. The café was warmly lit; the single-bulb lamp fixtures hanging down from the ceiling had an amber tint to their shades but were placed frequently enough to prevent creepy shadows. The floors were a medium brown tile that complimented the finished wood of the tables and chairs; along the side walls were booths with tartan cushions. On the walls was painted a rich green landscape that Sami guessed was Scotland. 

The only other patron was a man tucked into one of the booths in the back. From where he was standing, Sami could see a shock of reddish hair that stuck up like the man had put his finger in a socket. He was hunched over a notebook and several papers, with a computer sitting off to the side. All he needed was a pair of glasses sitting on his head and he would’ve looked like the professor’s Sami had seen furiously grading in the university coffee shop at the end of the semester. 

The barista came out from the back, smiling cheerfully even though it was the dead of night. His blonde hair curled slightly over his forehead but was trimmed and styled to stay out of his eyes. “Evening! Or,” he glanced at the clock on the wall, “Morning, I guess.” American; normally Sami might find it a little odd to meet him here but then again, he was in a 24 hour café in the middle of London. 

“It’s almost the witching hour,” Sami responded, walking up to the counter “I think we can get away with calling it evening.” 

“Unfortunately I left my cauldron at home, but I think the pots will work. Steve, at your service, what can I brew for you?” 

“What do you have for a man who desperately needs to get at least 5 hours of sleep before he has to get up in the morning?” 

“Well we’ve got a couple of options here, there’s Sereni-tea, Tranquili-tea…” 

Sami rubbed his hand over his face, shaking his head with a slight smile, “I don’t know if those are better or worse than the name of the shop.” 

“I’m not sure anything could be worse than Edinbrew,” Steve said with a grin, “But it’s still pretty funny watching customers read the puns. There’s also a new tea blend I’ve been wanting to try out, if you’re curious.” 

“You haven’t done it before?” 

“Well most customers already know what they want or aren’t ready to experiment, I’m more of a coffee guy than a tea guy, and the boss hasn’t been convinced to try it, yet.” 

“If you think it’ll help me sleep, I’ll try anything once.” 

“That’s the spirit. Would you like the $1 cup, the $2, or the $3 cup?” 

“What’s the difference?” 

“The $1 is 8 oz, then 10 oz, then 12.” 

“Let’s do $2, enough to do the trick but not too much I can’t find my way home.” 

“One $2 experimental tea, coming right up.” 

Sami put an extra dollar in the tip jar as Steve turned to make the drink, then took a seat closer to the counter to continue to chat with him as he worked. The man in the corner booth never said anything through all of this, just kept writing and shuffling and typing. Normally Sami would say hello or something, just to be polite, but anyone who was working that hard at 3am would probably not appreciate being interrupted in order to fulfill a minor social contract. Still, Sami found himself watching the man out of the corner of his eye, noticing that he had a moustache that twitched whenever he seemed particularly annoyed with a paper he was looking at. The cup at his elbow was only half-finished but had probably gone long cold. 

After a few minutes, Steve came out and put a cup and saucer on the table. Sami blew on it to cool it off and breathed in the definite scents of chamomile and peppermint. He blew on it again and took a careful sip. Almost immediately he felt some of the tension release from his head and shoulders. For a moment, everything he had to do tomorrow didn’t exist; it was peaceful. 

“Tell your boss I think you have a winner here.” 

“Glad to hear it,” Steve grinned again, “I have some washing up to do in the back but feel free to take your time and holler if you need me.” 

“Merci, mon bon sorcier.” He sat for a little bit, letting himself enjoy the tea. Steve happened to come out from the back when he got up to put the dishes under the RETURN sign and listened happily as Sami reiterated his praises. Sami added some change to the jar before heading out, waving as he opened the door, “Good night to the both of you. I hope you finish what you’re working on,” He said to the man in the booth, getting a surprised look. As he turned away, he thought he saw steam rising from the man’s cup but brushed it off as a trick of the light. 

Having had his cup of tea, Sami found his way back to the flat, barely bothering to turn on a lamp as he changed and slipped under the covers, falling asleep almost immediately. 


	2. Chapter 2

Sami hadn’t expected to visit  Edinbrew again. 

Well, it would be more accurate to say he hasn’t expected to _find_ Edinbrew again. He quite honestly wasn’t sure how he’d found it in the first place, and it was probably someways off any of his beaten paths. Sami had had the thought that he could look for it online but in an odd way that felt like cheating, like it wasn’t something you were supposed to force.

Then, a few nights later, at  2am , he found himself turning the corner of a street to see a familiar storefront. The counter was empty but the same man was there, sitting in what was probably his regular booth. He looked up as Sami entered and nodded in greeting, taking a sip of his drink.

“ Evenin ’;  Steve’ll be right out, he just went to get more sugar.” He was Scottish, the accent blending in with the painted scenery.

“Evening,” Sami said, taking a seat near the booth.  Tonight maybe he would have a little more company. “You were here last time I was, weren’t you? I’m Sameer, but you can call me Sami.” He held out his hand.

The man grasped it with a smile, “Charlie, pleasure to meet you.”

Neither of them said anything else, neither asked what brought the other out at this time of night. Sami had nothing to hide, but he didn’t want to make Charlie feel like he had to share.  Steve came out with the sugar and smiled at Sami, it seemed like Steve was always smiling. Someday, he would half to ask which brew gave you that kind of generally positive attitude at this time of night.

“Hi, welcome back. You’re earlier this time, I hope that’s a good thing.”

“We had an easier night.”

“Glad to hear it. What can I brew for you tonight?”

“If you can, give me the same thing as last time, that was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.”

“You got it, one Witch’s Brew coming right up.”

“ Is that what it’s called now?”

“That’s what I’m pushing for; the boss isn’t convinced.”

“It seems like your boss needs convincing a lot.”

“You’re telling me. I’ve been making a list of alternative names but between us,” Steve nodded at Charlie when he said this, “Witch’s Brew is still my favorite.”

“It does work like magic.”

Steve paused and looked over at Sami with the universal look of 'I can’t believe you just made a pun' on his face. “Dude, that wasn’t even a dad joke, that was just a bad joke. I regret everything now, the boss is right, it’s a terrible name; we’re gonna call it something nice and plain like ‘Night Time Tea’ and not have to worry about it.”

“You could,” Sami said, “But it wouldn’t be as much fun.”

“True, but we’re putting your original feedback on the review board.

“There is another possibility,” Sami said.

“I’m going to regret asking, aren’t I?”

“Probably.”

Steve sighed, “Alright, what is it?”

“ Equanimi -tea.”

Steve groaned and rubbed his hands over his face as Charlie chuckled from the booth,  “I’m not putting that on the list, I’m not,”  He said from behind  his hands, “He’ll pick it, and that’ll be on the board, and people will look at us like we’re trying to be clever and we’re not, it’s just a joke, but it’s on the board.”

“Sounds like a…calami-tea.”

“That’s it, I’m putting this in a to-go cup and you can leave, thank you very much for your patronage and good-night.”

Charlie chose to speak up at that moment, “ Steven, lad,  there’s no need to be pet-tea.”

“Oh come on, Charlie, don’t you start too.” 

“Hey now,” He held up his hands, “I’m just trying to spread a little  positivi -tea.”

“I hate both of you right now.” Steve sighed again in a very exaggerated, put-out way, sliding Sami’s tea over the counter. He  wasn’t doing a very good job hiding his smile. 

Sami couldn’t help one more crack as he got up to pay and tip,  “What a pi-tea.”

“Oh my  _ god _ . ”  Steve banged his head against the counter, “Y’know what, I can probably go find something to clean, you two enjoy each other.” He returned to the back.

Sami sat back down and raised his cup to Charlie, “To  the unappreciated humor of puns.”

“Cheers,” Charlie held up his own cup.

Steve stuck his head out a little while later, “Hey, I connected my phone to the  sound system , any requests?”

Charlie cupped his hands around his mouth and fake-yelled “ Freebird !”

“Don’t tempt me, Charlie .” He turned to Sami, squinted for a moment in concentration, and  finally shook his head, giving up, “I just realized I don’t know your name, I’m very sorry.”

“Sami, S-A-M-I.”

“Nice to meet you, Sami. How about you, any requests?”

“None of my favorite songs are in English. As long as you don’t play that song that’s been on the radio fifteen times a day, I have no preference.”

“ No overplayed pop song, got it.”

The song that shortly  piped in through the speakers  was not  “ Freebird ” or  that stupid song that Sami had just gotten out of his head, but  the unmistakable sound of  Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Sami and Charlie just looked at each other, resisting the instinct to groan.

“He probably thinks he’s clever,” Sami said.

“Aye. At least it’s not a terrible song.”

“Agreed.”

When the chorus started, Steve popped out of the kitchen wearing a pair of shades and wielding a mop like a mike stand, lip-syncing to the words.  Sami and Charlie watched him, fighting to hold neutral expressions and not give him the reaction he wanted. But, when he started dancing as well, mimicking the awkward movements from the video, Charlie cracked. He turned his face into his sleeve,  hiding his  smiles .  Sami put his  hand over his mouth and took a deep breath to try and steady himself.  He finally broke with a snort when Steve power slid onto his knees .

“Glad that worked,” Steve said as he got up, “I’m going to have bruises for days .” He bent over,  hands on his knees, and took a deep breath, “Man you guys are hard to crack.”

“Years of practice,  Monsieur Clown.”

“Aw come on, last time you called me a sorcerer.”

“Actually , I called you a witch.”

“I will take that, it’s definitely better than clown.”

“Oi, Glinda,” Charlie  called, “Did you leave the sink on?”

“Shit!” Steve scrambled back into the kitchen. They heard some light splashing as the door swung shut. Sami looked over at Charlie and they both  chuckled, settling into a comfortable silence as they drank their tea.

When Sami finished , he took his cup and saucer up to the counter and called a farewell to Steve in the back. After saying his good-byes to Charlie as well, Sami headed out into the night back to his apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

It was another week before Sami found his way to  Edinbrew again, trusting his feet to find the way. This time it wasn’t the middle of the night, but late afternoon before heading to the evening practice. He had just enough time to hopefully do what he needed to before heading to the theater. The small bell signaled his arrival, as did the sudden gust that followed him in. Steve was out from behind the counter and chatting with Charlie in his usual booth. There was someone else sitting across from Charlie, Sami could just about make out reddish curls over the top of the booth.

Steve looked up and waved, “Sami! Good to see you in the daytime.” He glanced out the windows, “Or at least in the dusk time.”

“Afternoon. Please tell me your boss doesn’t make you stay here for half the day.”

“N ah , I pick up the odd shifts. They just usually happen in the middle of the night, as you’ve seen.  What can I brew for you? ”

“How much would it be to fill t hese ,” Sami pulled  two giant thermos es out of his bag, “With the strongest tea you have?”

“Well…how many ounces  are they ?”

“68 each .”

Steve whistled low, “Ok let me go do some math real quick, feel free to put that on the counter and have a seat.” He stepped behind the counter and pulled out a notebook, face scrunching up as he started writing down numbers. 

Sami moved over to the table closest to the booth and sat down facing Charlie and his companion. The woman sitting across from him had bobbed curls the same shade as Charlie’s hair and an air about her that warned Sami she was not someone to take lightly.

She turned to face him and held out her hand with a smile, “Sami, was it? I’m Etta.” British, not Scottish, but possibly a relative.

“ Oui .  Enchante , mademoiselle.”  Sami took her hand and  lightly kissed her knuckles, giving her a playful wink.

“Oh you’re a charmer, aren’t you,” She took her hand back and patted him on the cheek, still smiling, “Not going to work, I’m afraid. ”

“Ah, you break my heart,” Sami pressed his hands against his chest dramatically, “How will I ever go on?”

“I’m afraid that’s not my concern. It was lovely knowing you for the short time we’ve had.” Etta took a sip of her tea.

“You,” Charlie said, watching all of this with an amused expression, “Are as fiery a lass as ever, Etta.”

“Thank you.”

Steve spoke up from the counter, “Ok, so if we count that as 8 and a half $1 cups per thermos, your total comes to $17 for the whole thing , which is about as low as I can get it . It’s going to take a little longer, but I’ll get as many kettles going as I can.”

“That sounds like an excellent bargain, you are a life-saver.” Sami brought the thermoses over to the counter, paid, and put money in the tip jar.

“Can I ask,” Etta said when Sami returned to his seat , “What this is for?”

“I work in the local community theater ;  tonight we absolutely have to finish our set building, and we’re going to need the boost.”

“Oh! Do you work in that lovely little playhouse not far from here? I saw the production of  _ Little Shop of Horrors  _ last year,  _ very _ well done.”

“Thank you,” Sami smiled and bowed a little, “I’ll be sure to tell everyone.”

“Were you in that? I don’t remember your face , but it was a year ago. ”

“Ah no. I haven’t been on stage in a few years, I work behind the scenes these days. In  fact I  direct most of the time.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Very often,” Sami admitted , “But I love what I do now, too.”

She smiled, “It’s nice when your passions line up with your profession.”

“And what about you, have you been lucky as well?”

“ Getting there.  Steve and I actually used to work together for a bit before we both left. Now he’s here , and I work primarily for a non-profit aiding women in need. I do odd jobs around on the side , have to keep up rent, of course. It’s also wonderful for making connections around the city. I’m hoping to be able to do more on a larger scale.”

“You’re doing excellent work, Madame. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors, and to the women you’re helping.”

“Thank you, and good luck to you and the theater as well. Or am I supposed to say 'break a leg?'”

“ Since we are still in pre-production, I think we’re safe with a good luck. Thank you, Etta.”

“Two big-ass thermoses full of the strongest stuff we’ve got,” Steve called, putting the thermoses on the counter.  “And they are heavy.”

“Excellent, I can get my weekly lifts in.” Sami retrieved the thermoses, tucking one under each arm, “And they can keep me warm on the way. Merci, mon  ami , your services will be praised highly in the theater tonight.”

“Good luck,” Steve said, “Hope you get home in a timely manner. And,  if you end up this way in the middle of the night, stop on by, you never know who might be around.”

“If it’s you, I’m going to force your own Witch’s Brew down your throat.”

“I’ll help,”  Etta added, “Goodness knows you barely get enough sleep as is, Steve.”

“I’m feeling vaguely threatened right now. Charlie, help a guy out?”

“ Yer on  y er own,  laddie , I put my  fightin ’ days behind me.”

“ Yeah I was afraid you gonna say that.”

“We only threaten you because we care,” Etta assured him, “ We mean you no harm.”

“Etta,” Steve said, “I’ve seen you end a bar fight in three seconds flat. Whether you mean harm or not, there is a very strong probability that I will end up harmed.”

“Then I guess you’d better go home and get some sleep tonight.” Etta took a calm, unbothered sip of her tea.

Sami caught Charlie’s eye and saw him smiling and shaking his head at the conversation going on. He himself felt drawn in by this increasingly more odd group that seemed to congregate here. But, alas, he had acquired his potions and the night drew ever near. It was time to move on.

“While that bar fight incident sounds like a wonderful story that I would love to hear, the theater calls me.  Steve, Charlie, it was good seeing you again. Etta, my  fiery heartbreaker, it was lovely meeting you.”

“And you as well,” she said. “If we meet each other again,  you will hear that story.”

Steve waved from the counter, “See  ya , Sami.”

“Until next time,” Charlie said.

Sami waved , as best he could with the thermoses,  and headed out into the windy London streets.


	4. Chapter 4

When Sami returned  the next day, the one day of the week they took off from theater work, it was mid-morning. Steve was walking through the main area with a delivery box.

“Sami!” Steve greeted him, awkwardly trying to wave with the box, “In the actual daylight! How’d the set building go?”

“It went very well, thanks to you. Would you like a hand with that?”

“I’ve got it, I have to bring in a few more from the back anyways.”

“Then let me help, I’m not adverse to some heavy lifting every now and then, and it can be my way of saying thank you for the tea last night.”

“Well I’m not stupid enough to turn down help. Let me get this one into the storeroom and I’ll show you the rest.”

The storeroom was down a small hallway and next to the restrooms; a fair portion of it was taken up by something under a sheet but there was enough room to deposit their boxes. Steve led Sami behind the counter, through the  back kitchen area, to the delivery area. Charlie had arrived when they came back out with more boxes and helped them carry the last few in. It was the first time Sami had seen him out of the booth, and he finally saw how tall and absolutely rail thin he was. He looked like if he stood sideways and stuck out his  tongue he’d be a zipper. He had to be about the same height as Sami but his hair and lankiness made him seem taller. Despite his shape, however, he managed to carry his box without issue.

“Thank s for the help, guys,” Steve said, shutting the door to the storeroom, “I’ll unpack those later, duty calls. So, what can I brew for you?”

“Is that just becoming  yer new catchphrase?” Charlie asked as they walked back out to the main area.”

“Well it is catchy. Sounds like something that could be on a T-shirt, y’know?”

“Sounds good to me,” Sami said, “ I think you could sell those easily.”

“We’d have to talk my boss into it first.”

“ Pitch it to  him , you never know.”

“I mean , I can try. He’s kind of old-fashioned, though, and he can be pretty stubborn when he wants to be. I’m still fighting him on the name of Witch’s Brew. ”

“Just put it on the board, if it’s already in writing it will be harder for him to dispute it.”

“He makes a point,” Charlie said .

“He does,” Steve acknowledged, “And you,” he looked back at Sami, “Are trying to get me in trouble, aren’t you?”

“I would never. ”

“Why do I not believe you.”

Sami just grinned in response.

Steve sighed, “This is going to go some way, I just hope I’m caffeinated for it. So can I finally get an answer for what you want to drink?”

“Something  with a terrible name that isn’t too caffeinated,  $2 cup please.”

“Coming right up. Charlie, usual?”

“Please and thank you, lad.”

Charlie and Sami took their usual seats as Steve went to start making their drinks. “By the way,”  Charlie asked , “I meant to ask, what show are you guys putting on?”

“We were hoping for another musical, but we decided instead to perform  _ Merry Wives of Windsor _ .”

“What’s it about?”

“It’s a Shakespeare comedy about two women making a fool of a pompous ass, as well as the usual background Shakespearean shenanigans.”

“Sounds fun,” Steve called from behind the counter, “I’m going to have to try to catch it. Sounds like exactly the kind of thing Etta would enjoy too, so she’ll be excited.”

“Once we’ve settled on premiere  dates I’ll let you know and reserve seats. It’s a community run and funded theater so tickets are free and donations are greatly appreciated. What about you, Charlie,” Sami turned to his almost-seat-companion, “And please, I will take no offense if you have no interest, the theater isn’t for everyone.”

“I’m not usually a Shakespeare man but I appreciate a good comedy. I’ll get back to you on that ticket. You can probably put a poster up here, too,” Charlie pointed to a bulletin board on the far wall, “Community announcements  go there.”

“That’s a great idea,” Steve agreed, “I can put a little notice by the register too, get the word out.”

“I appreciate that, thank you. As soon as I have a poster from our designer I’ll bring it over. I’m looking forward to this show, the actresses playing the wives were already close before so they have a great natural chemistry that brings out the humor even more. The crew has to not look at their faces sometimes because they’ll just give each other a look, and then it’s all over.”

“Definitely sounds like a good time,” Steve said, bringing over their drinks. “Charlie, your usual. Sami,  this is the ‘Not Today  Depresso ,’ half-caf.”

“I regret that this is exactly what I asked for, that is truly a terrible name.”

“Not mine, that one was all the boss. ”

“It fits his tastes, based on the name of the café.” 

“It’s pretty bad,” Charlie agreed, looking at where the name was painted on the front windows, “But it feels right.”

“It’s unique,” Sami said, “just like the café.”

“Aye, cheers.”

As much as Sami wanted to stay at  Edinbrew for the rest of the day, he had work to do at home that he didn’t have time for during the rest of the week. He got another drink to-go, said goodbye to Steve and Charlie, and headed home.  It was a gray day in London but the rain was holding off and Sami made it all the way into his apartment before it started coming down. Taking advantage of the content feeling settling inside him, he dug out his record player and dusted off one of his favorite songs, letting the music fill the single room as he set up his work station on the dining room table. As he finished his ‘Not Today  Depresso ,’ he imagined for a moment that outside of his window he could see green highlands , and a figure standing tall amidst morning fog, bagpipes carried proudly. Right before it seemed the notes were supposed to each him, a horn honked from the streets below and the vision passed. Sami shook himself out of the daydream and set to work.


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, in the middle of the night once again, Sami was headed to  Edinbrew . What made this night different than previous ones, besides the briefcase he’d brought with him to protect certain papers, was that as he  approached he saw another figure coming the same way. They were tall, almost intimidatingly so, with broad shoulders braced against the night’s chill and a wide brimmed hat obscuring their face. But when they stepped into the warm light of  Edinbrew’s windows, they looked up at Sami who had stopped by the door, and their face was kind.

“Are you going in?” Sami asked.

“Yes. And you?”

“I am. Please, allow me.” He opened the door to let the stranger ahead of him, getting a nod and a ‘thank you.’

“Oi! Big man!” Charlie’s call rang out almost as soon as the stranger stepped inside, “Where the hell have you been?” He got up from his usual booth and walked over with his arms out to embrace the larger man.

The man returned the hug, “Around, Red. Good to see you again.” Sami couldn’t see his face but there was a smile in his voice.

“Hey Chief!” Steve called from behind the counter, “Hey Sami! What can I brew for you two?”

Chief headed up to place his order while Charlie greeted Sami. “Sami, my good man,”  He gave Sami a hearty handshake and a clap on the shoulder, “Don’t tell me that briefcase means yer plannin’ to  _ work _ at this time of night?” The horrified look Charlie gave him was comically exaggerated.

“Only a little,” Sami assured him with a laugh. “We settled on our production dates and got the posters from our designer, so I thought I'd stop by and show you all.”

“Get a drink, have a seat, and show us then.” Charlie slid back into his spot so Sami could go place his order. “Steve! When yer done with the drinks, same join us, Sami brought posters!”

“I’m working!”

“Who’s  gonna give  ya a hard time about it? Just us in here. Chief, you sit too, I want to hear about what you’ve been up to.”

Sami shared a smile with Steve as he walked up to the counter, “It seems you have a knack for attracting people who try to get you in trouble.”

“No kidding. So, Witch’s Brew or something new?”

“I think I'll try the Sereni-tea tonight. $2 cup, s'il vous plaît.”

“Coming right up. I’ll bring it to the booth with Chief’s since I'll be joining you guys.”

Chief was sitting across from Charlie in the booth, looking even more friendly since he’d taken his hat and coat off. As Sami walked towards them, he thought he saw a faint, sparkling glow surrounding the two. But he blinked, and it was gone, so he dismissed it as dust particles in the light. Charlie slid over to make room for him, barely taking up any space himself, and made the introductions.

“As you probably figured out, Sami, this is Chief, Chief, meet Sami.”

“Good to meet you.”

Sami took the offered hand, “Pleasure’s mine.”

Charlie gestured over with his mug, “Chief was just telling me about his trip to Canada.”

“Ah, business or pleasure?”

“A bit of  both ,” Chief smiled, “Seeing family as well as doing some activist work.”

That got Sami’s attention, “What kind of activism?”

“Reclaiming and protecting sacred indigenous lands, as well as protecting our children from being lost, or drawn to harmful influences.”

Sami whistled, impressed. “That’s a very big fight you’re facing, my friend, and a very good one. I wish you the best of luck with it.”

“Thank you, Sami.”

Steve came over with the drinks and pulled a chair up to the edge of the table so the booth didn’t get cramped. “Alright, one Sereni-tea, one Under the Coffee of Night with two sugars. Whatcha got for us, Sami?”

“Et voila,” Sami pulled the poster out of the briefcase and unrolled it, putting his cup at the bottom to hold it down. The background of the poster was a deep purple and the yellow silhouette of two women, arm in arm, took up the majority of the page. In their skirts were the silhouettes of several other figures in a complimentary green. Across the bottom in a scripted font read: ‘True Colors Theater presents  _ The Merry Wives of Windsor.’  _

“This looks awesome, Sami!” Steve said. “I checked with the boss and he said you’re good to put it on the announcement board, and I've got a little display thing for the counter.”

“Merci. One of our crew designed it, she’s a digital arts major and used it for a class project as well. And as far as tickets, as long as you let me know in time I can have seats reserved for whoever wants to come.”

“Etta and I are definitely in, I'll let her know the dates so she can figure out her schedule.”

“I look forward to seeing you both there. What about you, Charlie? I promise you’ll hardly know it’s Shakespeare.”

“I’m still deciding, I'll let you know.”

Sami looked at Chief, “How about you? Tickets are free, and the stars are  incroyables .”

“I should be in town the first night, I'd be happy to come.”

“Magnifique. I can have them waiting for you at will-call under the name Chief. Unless there’s another name you’d prefer.”

Chief smiled and shook his head, “Chief will be fine, I doubt too many people are going to come in using that name.”

“Well the techies do sometimes call the stage manager chief, but she’ll most likely reserve tickets under her own name, so I'll make sure the ticket office knows who to look for.”

“He’ll be hard to miss,” Charlie commented with a grin. “Just tell them to look for the moving wall with a hat.”

“And if he reserves any under your name,” Chief responded, a wicked glint in his eye, “he’ll have to tell them to look for the toothpick that looks like a muppet.”

“Oi!”

Sami nearly spat out his drink, and Steve buried his face in his arms to try to muffle his laughter. He’d just about recovered when Sami said, “I knew your hair reminded me of someone. I was not expecting it to be Beaker.”

Steve just about rolled off his chair laughing, getting up to excuse himself from the table. Charlie tried to glare at Sami, but he wasn’t very good at hiding his smile.

“I like him” Chief said, nodding at Sami.

“Merci, monsieur.” Sami finished his drink and headed to the counter to drop off his cup and the poster, and to give Steve his number for when he was ready to reserve tickets. A quick glance showed that Chief and Charlie were in the middle of a discussion, so Sami leaned over the counter and whispered something to Steve. Steve snorted a little, hiding it behind his hand, and gave Sami the thumbs up. He quietly disappeared into the back, and a short while later the gentle strums of a banjo started playing over the speakers. Charlie and Chief stopped talking, and Charlie looked over at where Sami was taking his time putting his coat back on and closing the briefcase.

_ ‘Why are there so many songs about rainbows _ , sang the familiar voice of Kermit the Frog,  _ 'And what’s on the other side?’ _

“You bastard,” Charlie said, starting to laugh.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean,” Sami lied, giving him a wink. He tipped his hat to the men in the booth, wishing them a good night, and headed home with a light heart.


	6. Chapter 6

Sami would’ve been lying to say he wasn’t at least a little disappointed when he walked into  Edinbrew one night and didn’t see Charlie in his usual booth. But Steve was behind the counter, as always, so there was at least one familiar face. For the past couple of  nights he’d come in, Sami had been steadily making his way through the calming teas portion of the board. He kept meaning to come back in when it wasn’t past time for normal people to be sleeping, but he was either busy or had gotten home by the time he remembered he meant to go.

Steve was hunched over, writing something in a notebook, but looked up at the sound of the bell and smiled when he saw Sami. “Hey, how’s  it going?”

“It’s going well, the costumes have all been finished so dress rehearsals can go on. We're hoping to have our full tech day soon.” Sami rapped his knuckles on the counter, “And, I have reserved excellent seats for you and Ms. Etta.”

“Glad to hear it! I had a friend in theater in high school who was always freaking out about tech day, so I hope that goes well for you guys. What can I brew for you?”

“A Witch’s Brew for tonight, just a $1 cup, s'il vous plaît.” Sami paid, tipped, and took a seat near the counter. “May I ask, what are you working on there?”

“Hm?” Steve glanced at the notebook, “Oh that? I’m uhhh kinda writing a statement piece calling out my old bosses for all the bullshit they pulled while I was working there.”

“The place where you and Etta used to work?”

“That’s the one. They’re a pretty big international group that does a lot of contracting with independent businesses and the like, primarily to screw them over.”

That... wasn’t quite what Sami was expecting to hear. “How did you get involved with them?”

“Well, I used to be in the Air Force until I kind of... crashed and fractured most of the bones in my leg. Everything healed fine, only a few lingering twinges every now and then, but they gave me the option of an early retirement once my recovery was done and I took it. After that I was trying to find a job where I could still help people.  So this guy I met a few times while working in Britain, Patrick Morgan, had also stepped into civilian life and told me about this ‘awesome’ company he was working with that was really ‘looking out for the little guys.’” Steve’s sarcastic tone and fed up expression gave Sami a pretty good idea how much bullshit that had been. “So I'm there for about a year, Etta’s been there a few months longer than me, and at first I kept making excuses to myself about how the things I was seeing wasn’t matching up with what I'd been told, because this was Patrick he was a pretty good guy, he wouldn’t have lied to me, right?”

“He lied?”

“He fucking lied.” Despite how worked up he was getting, Steve managed to put Sami’s cup down gently. “So I talk to Etta, and she’s like ‘thank fucking goodness someone else said something’ and we try to go to HR but the head of HR was a really scary woman named Isabel Maru who also had a doctorate in psychology or something, so she freaked people out with no issue. Our next thought was to confront someone higher up, but then the next thing we knew we were getting called into the CFO’s office, as this Ludendorff guy makes it  _ very _ clear that we need to Stop.  So we shut up and put our heads down and stay just long enough to do a little digging before we get the fuck out of there quickly and quietly. We took what we had to a non-profit law group we knew could help, and now they’ve finally built enough of a case that they’re suing the shit out of the company on behalf of the small businesses they screwed over. Etta and I are giving statements as firsthand witnesses of some of the absolute bullshit they pulled.”

“H'ad saâid,” Sami said, holding up his cup, “May the bastards get everything they deserve.”

Steve smiled, “Thanks, Sami. Now if only I could write a draft that didn’t have any cursing in it. Is there a polite way to call someone the absolute scum of the earth?”

“I don’t know about polite but I'm sure there’s a more poetic way to do it. Give me some time to think about it and I'll let you know. Is the lawsuit why you’re still in London?”

“Partially. I've got some family back in Iowa, but I haven’t been ready to go home yet. Plus, it’s actually really nice working here; the boss lets me set my own hours, the customers are good, present company included, and it’s just a nice place to be, y’know?”

Sami nodded, “I do. It's like a resting place in life.”

“Exactly! I just kind of wandered my way in here one day, liked the coffee, and saw that they were hiring. I'd just left the other place and figured the people there were so shitty, how bad could customer service be? And then I ended up getting really lucky.” Steve knocked on the counter. “So for right now, I'm good where I am.”

“I’m glad I was able to meet you while you’re here then. Cheers.” Sami held up his cup again and let Steve get back to his draft. When he stood to return his dishes, he got Steve’s attention and cleared his throat, “I have some writing for you to consider.”

Steve grinned, “Hit me.”

“The souls of my previous employers are so corrupted that it permeates through their entire beings. When they die, they cannot be buried, for the worms will not take them, and will instead push them back up so they won’t poison the earth. They cannot be put out to sea, for the bottom feeders will not take them, and will instead push them back up so they won’t poison the water. They cannot be left out for the animals, for not even the fungi will take them, and they will instead be pushed back to civilization so they won’t poison the air. They must instead be burned, for only Hell will take them in the end.”

Steve put down his pencil and applauded loudly, “Now  _ that _ is poetry. Bravo!”

Sami took his bow, and bid Steve a good night.


	7. Chapter 7

The next time Sami walked into Edinbrew it was dusk, and he had just enough time before rehearsal to grab a drink and talk a minute. Steve was there, as was Charlie, and a third person stood by the counter, talking with Steve as he made her drink. She was tall, not as tall as Chief but still noticeably tall, with dark hair and the same no-nonsense aura as Etta. Since Sami wasn’t in a rush, he slid into the booth across from Charlie and joined him in watching the interaction. 

“How’s he doing?” Sami asked quietly. 

“Not bad, bit awkward but it seems to be endearing.” 

“Have they been smiling the entire time?” 

“Pretty much. He’s made her laugh too.” 

“A good sign. What do you think of her?” 

“Pretty, of course, sharp, and is actually engaging with him instead of just flirting because she thinks it’ll get her a free drink. I've seen that enough times to know.” 

“Haven’t we all. Sounds like a promising start.” 

“Aye. Let's hope he keeps his feet out of his mouth long enough for it to have a promising end.” 

“By the way,” the woman’s voice drew their attention back to her and Steve, “I couldn’t help but notice the poster on your board, the one for the play?” 

“Yeah the one at the local theater, are you familiar with it?” 

“The play or the theater?” 

“Either.” 

She grinned, “I’m very familiar with the play.” 

“Awesome! I haven’t seen it myself but my friend over there,” he pointed to Sami who waved, “is actually the director, and he sold me on it. My friend Etta and I are going opening night, would you maybe like to come with us?” 

“I wish I could, but I'm actually working that whole weekend. I’ll have to see if I can catch it the next weekend. 

“If you do, I'd love to hear what you think about it since you know more about it then I do.” 

She smiled widely, “I’d love to share.” 

“Cool.” Steve grinned back at her in absolutely useless adoration. “In the meantime, here’s your Got a Latte to Do, and I hope you have a really good night.” 

“Thank you, I hope you do too.” 

Once she had left, Charlie whistled and he and Sami started clapping. Steve flipped them off, blushing wildly. 

“Well done,” Sami told him, heading up to the counter, “A truly gentlemanly performance. And I am honored that you were able to notice me despite being occupied. Or were you more preoccupied?” He heard Charlie snort behind him. 

“Funny.” 

“Didya happen to catch her name?” Charlie asked. 

Steve froze, then face-palmed hard. “Fuck!” 

“If your life is about to turn into a rom-com,” Sami told him, “I insist on being the romantic expert friend.” 

“I’ve got comedic relief and unhelpful remarks covered,” Charlie called. 

“Thanks guys. You're real pals. Seriously though, what do I do, should I chase her down?” 

“No.” 

“Absolutely not,” Sami shook his head, “It looks romantic in movies, but given that you’ve just met this woman, it would only come off as creepy.” 

“Yeah you’re right.” 

“Steve, look at me. She liked you, she sounded like she was actually looking forward to seeing you again, you will have another chance. Just don’t blow it, alright?” 

“Alright. Thanks Sami. Okay enough moping, you’ve been very patient, what can I brew for you?” 

Sami ran into Diana at the end of the street. She stood under the awning of the corner shop, sipping her coffee and looking out at the rain. When she saw Sami, she waved and stepped out to meet him, pulling her scarf back up over her hair. 

“Good to see you again.” 

“And you. Were you waiting for me?” 

“Since we both ended up this way, I thought we could walk the rest of the way together.” 

“The pleasure would be mine. Did the nice young man at the café remember to introduce himself or did he manage to forget that the same way he forgot to ask your name?” 

Diana smiled, “He started to, and then I think forgot he didn’t actually get to it. And don’t you tell me, I want to wait till I see him again.” 

“Ah yes, when you’re working that weekend as one of the leading ladies in the play you’re ‘very familiar’ with.” He lightly bumped his hip against hers, careful not to jostle her too much while they were both holding hot drinks. 

“I wasn’t lying,” she pointed out, grinning. 

“True,” Sami acknowledged, “But you did leave out the part where you’re also very familiar with the theater.” 

“You didn’t say anything either.” 

“It was your moment, Diana, I would have hated to take your spotlight, I could never do it. Especially since most of the time you’re in the spotlight you have a corset on.” 

“I think you’d look lovely with a corset on.” 

“I would be stunning,” Sami corrected, “I would still rather not do it. They haven’t been too tight, have they?” 

“No complaints here, and Menalippe hasn’t said anything either.” 

“Glad to hear it. By the way, two things: one, I will be referring to our mutual friend as Taylor-” 

“As in the latte boy song?” 

“Yes. Two, the friend Taylor mentioned he was bringing, Etta, is someone I think you should talk to. She does non-profit work with women in need, and she’s also a delightful person.” 

“You’ve met her?” 

“I have, and she turned me down faster than you did when we first met.” 

Diana started laughing at that one, “I like her more already. What about the man you were sitting with?” 

“Charlie? What about him?” 

“Has he turned you down?” 

Sami tucked himself into his coat and blew on his drink, “I have no idea what you mean.” 

“I just thought you two seemed close. You sat down with him pretty quickly.” 

“He’s a friend, Taylor was talking to you, and I had a minute so I decided to say hello while waiting to place my order.” 

“Whatever you say.” She didn’t sound like she believed him, but they were at the theater so he didn’t have time to keep digging himself into a defensive hole. 


	8. Chapter 8

Edinbrew seemed to be set on surprising him. Sami walked in to find most of the tables pushed to the side to make room for Charlie, sitting on the floor, with a piano partially dismantled in front of him. Charlie looked up at the sound of the bell, and grinned when he saw Sami.

“Evening. Steve had to run out for an emergency supply run, but he’ll be back shortly.”

“I have so many questions.”

“Pull up a chair and ask, I'll answer as many as I can.”

Sami pulled a chair over to where Charlie was working and sat down, leaning over to get a better look. “Was this in the store room?”

“Aye, gathering dust and whatnot. Decided to pull ‘ er out and give ‘ er a good cleaning before I started on tuning.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Mostly because I'm here and I can do it, so no need to call someone in to take care of it.”

“But why?”

“Two reasons: one, I figured if Steve is going to keep being a menace with the speakers, might as well have a defense. Two, it’s been a long while since I played, and there’s a piano right here so might as well give it a go.”

“I hope I get to hear you.”

Charlie gave him a smile, “I’ll save you a song. Any other questions?”

“What did Steve run out of, and where is he going to find more?”

“Cinnamon. There’s an Indian market running distance from here, open all hours same as the café.”

“I guess when you’re open 24/7, there aren’t really off hours when you can go get things.”

“I told him he could text the next person on shift and ask them to bring it in before they came to work, but he insisted on taking care of it right away.”

“He wasn’t worried about customers coming in? There’s not even a sign on the door.”

Charlie looked around at all of the customers that weren’t there. “I mean, not really. If you’d like to lodge a complaint though, he’ll be back soon or you can use the boss’s contact info on the business cards.”

“If he’s not here in fifteen minutes am I legally allowed to make my own tea?”

“Theoretically you could, but Steve would probably be held liable if you broke anything.”

“Well I did save a seat for him at the show so I'd hate for him to get in trouble before he has a chance to see it.”

Charlie snorted, “How very kind of you.”

“Besides, our performers and our crew have worked very hard to bring this production together, and I gave him one of the best seats in the house, it would break their hearts to see it empty.”

“You care about them a lot, don’t you?”

“They’re my second family. I'm so proud of everything they’ve accomplished.”

“I bet they have you to thank for a lot of it.”

“I wouldn’t say that-”

Charlie pointed his dust rag at Sami, “I may not know anything about being in theater, but the director doesn’t exactly sit around and twiddle their thumbs. At least, the good ones don’t. Maybe,  _ maybe  _ the show could’ve gotten off the ground without you, but I've seen the hours you keep, I've heard the way you talk about what you do, that kind of passion doesn’t lend itself to idleness. You’re part of that theater, as much as it’s a part of you.”

Sami didn’t have a response to that, so he sat quietly and watched Charlie work. It was like magic, the way he cleaned the piano and put it back together in seemingly no time at all. He didn’t have his tools with him for tuning, so Sami helped him push it back into the store room for the time being. 

Steve was coming in as they got back to the front, plastic bag in hand and breathing a little hard. “Hey Sami. How’s the piano coming, Charlie?”

“All cleaned and up, ready for tuning.”

“Steve, did you run there and back?”

“Yeah,” Steve shrugged, heading to drop off “didn’t want to leave the counter empty for too long.”

Sami leaned in and whispered to Charlie, “I thought you were kidding when you said it was running distance.”

“I thought  _ he _ was kidding when he said it.”

“Okay,” Steve emerged from the back room, apron hanging around his neck, cinnamon shaker in one hand, trying to tie his strings with the other “We’re back on track, just give me one sec and I can get your order.”

“Take your time, I can see you’re a bit tied up at the moment.”

Charlie snorted and took a seat in his booth. There was a cup already there that probably should have gone cold by this point but was still steaming.

“So, what can I brew for you?”

“I don’t believe I’ve tried the Balmy London Night yet, $2 cup please.

“Tell you what, to make up for you having to wait, this one’s on me.”

“Steve you don’t have to-”

“Nope. I insist. And would you look at that I closed the register. Oh well too late, I’ll get right on that for you.”

As Steve turned away to make the drink, Sami slipped the money and tip into the jar, putting a finger to his lips when he saw Charlie watching. Once Steve had finished Sami’s drink, he headed into the back to fill the other shaker. Apparently the cinnamon at the Indian shop came in bulk bags so he bought those and reused shakers to cut down on plastic waste.

Sami slid in across from Charlie, breathing in the lemony scent of his tea. “Mmm, I've been looking forward to this one.”

“Sami?” Charlie said.

“Hm?”

“Can I ask ye somethin? If ye could have any wish, right now, what would it be?”

“Ah, a difficult question for anyone. I suppose I would wish that the show would do well enough that we wouldn’t have to worry about making it through the next one. I would want everyone who’s worked on it to see, not just feel, that their hard work hasn’t been for nothing.”

Charlie smiled and shook his head, “Are ye always like this?”

“Like what?”

“Putting others before yourself? Indulge me, be selfish for a moment. If you could wish for anything for  _ you _ , not for anyone else, what would it be?”

“I guess... I would wish to act again. I've been off-stage for a very long time, I miss it.”

“That’s a very good wish, Sami.”

“What about you, what would you wish for?”

“Right now? That I can play as well as I remember. I miss making music.”

Sami smiled at him, “I like your wish too, Charlie.”


	9. Chapter 9

Opening night had arrived. Sami almost regretted dressing up, as he was fairly certain he was about to sweat through his clothes, but he knew that if he hadn’t he would’ve been more nervous about people looking at him strange because he was the director and he was the first face of the show so why wouldn’t he be looking his best?

Peeking out from the wings, he could see the audience filing in, and filing in, and filing in. It looked like they were going to have a packed house. Based on the excited whispers he could hear backstage, he guessed that other people had looked out and seen as well. And there, in the front row, was Chief, Etta, Steve, and Charlie. At the end of their row was Sami’s seat, where he would move to once the show started. On the other side, he could see Hippolyta and Antiope, as well as some of Diana and  Menalippe’s other family members. They were almost always the first to get their tickets, turning out in an impressive show of support. Sami’s parents and siblings wouldn’t be in town until next week, so he felt a slight twinge of jealousy, but then Etta spotted him and the group waved discreetly, giving him thumbs up. He waved back, letting the tension slide away as the house lights flashed to signal it was almost time.

When the house lights came down, Sami stepped out to his mark and the spotlight hit him. A brief round of applause went through the audience before he held his hands up for silence. “Honored guests, on behalf of the True Colors Theater cast and crew, I welcome you tonight to our production of  _ The Merry Wives of Windsor _ . My name is Sameer  Nejem and, if you will bear with me but a moment, I have a few short announcements to make before we proceed with the show. 

“If you have not already, please  silence any non-essential electronic devices and take note of the exits. In the event that the theater needs to be evacuated, please walk, do not run, to the nearest exit. Please do not heckle the players or otherwise offer your commentary. This play has been around for over four-hundred years, I doubt that any of you will have criticisms that have not been said before.

“At this time, I would like to remind you that flash photography is not allowed, nor is any recording of the production. We will be producing our own recording which will be made available for purchase, as well as stills from the show. All proceeds from any purchases made tonight, as well as any and all donations, go towards keeping our theater alive. We thank you for all of your support. Please, enjoy the show!” The light went out and Sami stepped down to the front row to take his seat.

The show proceeded without incident for the most part. And then Diana entered as Mistress Ford. Sami had to look away and press his hand over his mouth to keep from cracking up as he saw from the corner of his eye that Steve and Charlie had turned to Look at him. But they didn’t confront him and he managed to keep his composure until the first act ended and the house lights came up to loud applause. As the prerecorded message about concessions and the locations of the bathrooms played over the speakers, Sami braced himself for whatever was coming next.

What came next was a “Begging your fucking pardon. but  _ what? _ ” from Charlie and Steve leaning across Charlie to hit him on the arm. That finally broke Sami and he just laughed as Steve explained to a very confused Etta and Chief what was going on.

“Why didn’t you  _ say _ anything?” Steve asked once Sami finally calmed down.

“You didn’t ask! Besides, she and I were both very much looking forward to seeing the look on your face.”

“I could’ve brought her  _ flowers _ !”

Charlie snorted, “You could’ve learned her name.”

Steve’s expression went from mildly distressed  to eager as he started flipping through his program to find her. “Diana Prince. Hey the other actress is  Menalippe Themyscira-Prince, are they related?”

“By marriage.  Menalippe is married to Diana’s aunt Antiope.” Sami nodded across the aisle to where the woman in question sat. “She’s the one with the braided hair. The intimidating woman next to her is Diana’s mother-”

“Hippolyta,” Steve and Etta said.

This time, everyone turned to look at them. “They’re the lawyers we’re working with,” Etta explained. “Steve, we should go say hi.”

“No thanks,” Steve instinctively slid down in his seat when Hippolyta turned their direction to say something to Antiope. “This is a lot for me to process right now.”

“Are you scared of Hipployta, Steve?” Chief asked. There was the faintest hint of a smile on his face, giving away that he was enjoying this as much as everyone else.

“Let’s just say I'm really glad she’s on our side. Antiope is scary too, but Hippolyta is that quiet kind of scary that you really  _ really _ don’t want to piss off. Etta, I'll buy you whatever you want from the concession stand if you go over there for both of us.”

"Oh alright. Just a little something sweet. Now you two scoot so we can get out.”

Charlie and Sami stood so Etta could go chat and Steve could make his escape. As they sat back down, they traded looks with Chief and started laughing again.

Sami shook his head, “I thought I had a good trick planned with Diana, but even I couldn’t have expected that.”

“The universe has its ways of keeping us on our feet,” Chief agreed. “By the way Sami, this is a wonderful production you’ve all put together, I’m glad I was able to see it.”

“Aye,” Charlie clapped him on the shoulder, “Bravo sir.”

“Thank you, both of you. This is my favorite part of the show, when I can sit back and just see how it’s all come together.”

Etta and Steve returned to their seats in time for Act II, Steve giving a friendly wave to Hippolyta and Antiope before sliding into his seat. Act II was just as much a hit as Act I, keeping the audience in stitches as Falstaff met his downfall, and good old-fashioned Shakespearean wedding hijinks ensued. When the final curtain came down, the house was on its feet, applauding and cheering as the cast emerged. They took their bows one by one, then stepped forward for the cast line, but there was a gap in the middle. The actors all turned to Sami and beckoned him on stage. When he resisted, Diana and  Menalippe stepped down to drag him up, aided by Charlie and Steve pushing him forward. They put him in the center of the line, and everyone clasped hands to take their final bows.


	10. Chapter 10

A month later, with the final show done and the set struck, Sami found himself lying awake in his apartment, staring at the ceiling. He tried to tell himself it wasn’t that late, that it just seemed it was late because he couldn’t sleep, but when he mistakenly glanced at his clock and saw that it was 2:30, he sighed and gave up trying. After throwing on some comfortable clothes, sturdy shoes, and his large coat, Sami headed out into the night. It had been too long since he’d walked into the familiar warmth of Edinbrew, and the comfort that settled in his chest was a relief. Steve wasn’t there, probably in the back or making another supply run, but Charlie was, sitting at the piano pressing keys. He turned at the sound of the bell, and seemed surprised to see Sami there.

“Evening,” Charlie glanced at the clock, “well, morning. What brings you this way?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Sami told him. He sat down in the booth closest to the piano, facing Charlie. In the back of his mind something pointed out to him that he was in Charlie’s usual spot. “How’s the piano coming?”

“I think I've finally got her tuned.” Charlie ran a hand over the top, “stubborn old girl made me work for it though. How’s the show going?”

“We had our final performance this past weekend, struck the set the same night.”

“Bit weird not having anything to do?”

“Very.” Sami sighed and lay down on the booth seat. “It happens every show, we don’t know what to do with ourselves until the next one comes around.”

“Any idea what it’ll be?”

“Actually, no.” Sami sat up. “Our assistant director approached me on strike night and said she’d like to direct the next show. She said she has some ideas, including a few that she thinks I would be good in.”

“You’re going to get to act again?”

“I am.”

“Congratulations Sami!”

Sami couldn’t help but smile at Charlie’s enthusiasm. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. And that’s not the only thing, we received so many donations, and so many people bought videos and stills, that we’re going to be able to do a lot of much-needed maintenance work on the theater.”

“That’s wonderful! No wonder you can’t sleep, I wouldn’t be able to either if that much was happening to me. What brought you out this way, though?”

Sami looked around, at the amber lights, the tartan seats, the painted hills, and finally at the man in front of him. “I missed this place.”

Charlie looked at him, brows drawn tight as he processed what Sami had said. After a pause long enough for Sami to think he’d made a mistake, Charlie leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and contemplated Sami with his chin perched on his hands. “Huh. This hasn’t happened before.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not what you think,” Charlie told him with a half-smile. “Sami, there’s something I think I should tell you about this place.”

Still very confused, Sami deflected to humor, “Is it why the café has such a ridiculous name?”

Charlie laughed, throwing his head back, “No but I can tell you that too. It’s because I was drunk, bored, and missing home."

"You-" Sami lost the words

Charlie continued, "And then I decided to keep the rubbish name because I couldn't think of anythin' better for something I was in charge of. Besides, it’s always fun watching people react to it.”

“So all those times you and Steve were talking about the boss-”

“Right here.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You never asked. But anyways, that’s not what I wanted to tell you. Have you ever noticed how there’s something a bit off about this place? Not in a bad way, just something in the back of your mind that you can’t quite put a finger on?

“Well...” And Sami thought about how he just seemed to know how to find this place. How he always happened to come in when Steve was working, even when it was a different time of day. How Charlie was almost always there too, and how his drink never seemed to get cold. “Yes.”

“That’s because this place, is a liminal space. It's somewhere in between what is and what isn’t. There are a lot of them around the world, but I created this one with a purpose in mind. I think you described it best when you told Steve it was a resting place in life. The people who find their way here are at an in-between place in their life, one that they need just a little help getting though. For Steve and Etta, they needed a place where things were stable, even as things grew  chao tic around them. Steve also needed a sense of purpose, to know that he could still do good for people, even if it was as simple as getting them the right drink at the right time. For Diana, she’s been looking for a way to do more, something that isn’t what her family does.  So through you and Steve she met Etta. And if she happened to meet Steve along the way, sometimes the stars just like to align themselves like that.”

“And for Chief?”

“Well, Chief is a bit of an exception. He finds his way here as he pleases. Sometimes he needs to talk to someone familiar, sometimes he just likes the coffee.”

“What do you mean familiar? What –and pardon me if this comes off rude- what  _ are _ you?”

“That’s a bit of a complicated question. I’ve been around for a very,  _ very _ long time. There are a number of local terms where I come from that could be applied but none have ever felt quite right. I suppose the closest comparison would be brownies, wee household sprites with a good work ethic and nasty tempers, but the general term  fae is fine.”

“Aren’t  fae usually...” Sami held his hand over the table, “smaller?”

Charlie snorted, “Thought you were going to say fictional.”

“I try to keep an open mind. More things in heaven and earth and all that.”

"Generally yes, when we want to avoid attention, but I picked this form back when I started wandering, just going here and there to see what I could do, meet new people and all that. It was nice at first, movin’ about as I wanted, stepping into the mortal realm without getting caught in the muddle, but for the past hundred years or so, since I opened  Edinbrew , I've started to feel a bit more human.”

“What changed?”

“The Great War,” Charlie’s face clouded over, and Sami reached out to put a hand on his. “It was just... so much. I got lost somewhere in the middle of it,  tryin to drown it and myself in the bottom of a bottle, but then one night I decided to make a place of my own, a place that was quiet.  Dinnae why it turned out as a café, I think I came up with the name and just went with it, but there it was, tucked into a space between shops that no one had ever really paid attention to. It was just me at first, forcibly sobering myself with black coffee and strong tea, and then people started coming in, people who were lost, people who needed quiet. Soldiers mostly, but others came too. And I knew what they needed, so I helped them, as best I could whether that be granting wishes, or providing a little karmic balance, or just giving them a place to rest. And I liked doing it, so I let people keep coming in. The shop shows itself to the people who are meant to find it, but it’s always here if you know how to look for it.”

“So you’ve been here for a hundred years?”

“Aye.”

“Does it ever get lonely?”

“At times. After they’ve been helped, people don’t need this place anymore, most probably forget about it, so they leave and can’t find it again. And then there’s you.”

“What about me?”

“That’s what I can’t figure out. I thought you were starting to burn out, that you needed just a bit of a spark to rekindle that thing inside you you’ve been neglecting. I thought you needed to take care of yourself for once. But your wishes have been granted, both of them, and yet you’re back.  So I wonder if now the question isn’t what you need, but what you want.”

“What if what I want, isn’t what I deserve?”

“You never know unless you try. Take a chance, Sameer, what brought you back?”

Sami thought about a familiar face, a friendly smile, a sharp tongue, and a laugh he never got tired of hearing. “You.”

“Me?”

“I came back because I wanted to see you again.”

Charlie smiled, eyes getting a little teary. “Most people don’t even notice me, they’re not supposed to, but you saw me from day one. After opening night, I didn’t think I was going to see you again. But I wanted to.”

“Then I guess we’re both getting what we wanted.” Sami reached out and cupped Charlie’s face, wiping away the tear that had fallen. “Can I kiss you?”

“Aye, as long as I can kiss you back.”

They  leaned in and pressed their lips together. The last bit of unrest Sami had been feeling all night finally dissipated. Charlie felt like his feet were on solid ground for the first time in too many years. It was a short kiss, they weren’t exactly in comfortable positions, but that didn’t matter when they knew there were more to come.

Once Sami had had a chance to sort out his thoughts again, the empty counter reminded him of something else Charlie had said. “Is that why Steve’s gone? He found what he needed?”

“Actually he’s on a date. His life is still a bit too chaotic for him to leave, but to be honest he’s been around so long at this point I don’t think I could get rid of him if I tried. Maybe somewhere down the line he’ll move on on his own, but I think he’s staying for a little while yet. And if he’s here, it’s likely Diana and Etta will stick around as well.”

“Good, I've enjoyed getting to know them, and since I'm going to be coming back here a lot, it’ll be nice to see them around.”

Charlie smiled, a little sadly, and took Sami’s hand, running his thumb over the knuckles, “I should warn you, if you’re here too much, the place might start rubbing off on you.”

“You mean I might start granting wishes?”

“I mean one day you might realize you’re not aging as quickly as the people around you anymore. You might get... lonely.”

Sami put his hand over Charlie’s, “But I won’t be alone.”

Charlie let out a soft laugh, “ Yer one of the strangest men I've ever met.”

“Thank you.”

“Ye don’t think you’ll regret this down the line?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Sami admitted, “But I do know that I've found a home here. If something changes, we’ll face it together, but I  _ want _ to stay Charlie.”

Charlie searched Sami’s eyes, looking for any sign of doubt or hesitation. But there was none. “I’d like that.”

“Then I'm staying,” Sami picked up Charlie’s hand and kissed the knuckles before nodding at the piano. “Now, since you’ve got her tuned, why don’t we see if you got your wish too?”

“Aye,” Charlie put his hands together and stretched. “Any requests?” 

“At some point, you’ll have to play “Taylor the Latte Boy” for Steve since Diana and I confused the hell out of him, but tonight I want to hear your favorite.”

“Aye, I think I can do that.” Charlie smiled at Sami and started to play, and to sing.

“I'll walk beside you through the world today   
While dreams and songs and flowers bless your way   
I'll look into your eyes and hold your hand   
I'll walk beside you through the golden land.”


End file.
